Marking the mid-point between the summer solstice and the fall/autumn equinoxe, Lughnasadh is the first harvest celebration in the wheel of the year. Followed by Mabon (fall equinoxe) and Samhain(Halloween), Lughnasadh or Lammas is the celebration of the grains.
Lughnasadh is celebrated on August 1st. It gets it’s name from the celtic god of the sun Lugh. Summer is passing by, we make bread from freshly reaped wheat. We mark the peak of growing season and the beginning of harvest season. The cycle of seasons being synchronized with the story of the God and the Goddess, the God just like grains had the summer to reign and flourish, it’s about to come to an end. The God sacrifices himself so that change can continue to happen.
Have a beer in honour of the harvest season!
The legend of John Barleycorn:
« There was once a Pagan cult in England that worshipped a god of vegetation, who was sacrificed in order to bring fertility to the fields. This ties into the related story of the wicker man, who is burned in effigy. Ultimately, the character of John Barleycorn is a metaphor for the spirit of grain, grown healthy and hale during the summer, chopped down and slaughtered in his prime, and then processed into beer and whiskey so he can live once more. »
An opportunity spell for Lammas:
Bread is an element associated with abundance from the earth.
Take a piece of bread and crumble it between your hands. Visualize these crumbs being ideas and opportunities you want to come to life in the future. Go outside and spin on yourself letting the breadcrumbs fall around you in a circular shape, symbol of the importance of the sun in the annual grain harvest. Once all the crumbs fell from your hands stop and affirm: I sow, I reap, I harvest the rewards. Repeat this incantation for the whole month to help you on the way to success.
How we can celebrate Lughnasadh:
To honour the Goddess and the God of the sea you can craft sand candles.
Sand candles makes for a beautiful and magical end product. With wet sand make a mould, deep and narrow or larger and more shallow you decide how you want your candle to look. Melt natural wax such as soy or beeswax in a water bath, you can add essential oils ( I suggest rfor the association with the festivity). Add a wick, wether you decide to use a cotton wick a wooden one make sure it goes deeper that your mould to ensure your ability to light it. Secure it so it doesn’t move while the candle harden. Slowly pour your melted wax in the sand and wait for it to be fully hard. Once it’s completely set, slip your fingers under your creation and gently brush off the excess sand.
Create a Witch’s Bottle. Put sharp and pointy things in a glass container to protect from harm. You can use this opportunity to get rid of things that are no longer useful such as broken glass, rusted nails, old sewing equipment… Thorns and thistles can also be added to the mix. Bury the bottle near the entry of your house or in a large flower pot if you don’t have access to the ground where you live.
Craft corn dolls for next Imbolc.
Have a picnic and make offerings(libation) of bread and wine to the earth to show gratitude.
Give back to nature, clean a space of nature.
How to decorate your altar:
As Lughnasadh is the celebration of the grains, bread or any crop ( wheat, corn, barley )is more than welcome to adorn your sacred space. Yellow, orange and golden candles reminds us of the sun but also of the golden wheat fields. Cornucopias, scythes, sicles and farming symbols are also musts for you altar. Sunflowers, marigolds and seasonal flowers can be added to your decor.
You can place some colorful crystals like amber, carnelian, aventurine, tiger’s eye and citrine.
Bibliography;
Alison Davies, Mystical Year, London, Quadrille, 2020.
Ann Mouriel, Green witchcraft, St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1996.
Joël Farrah, La Wicca, Québec: Les Éditions Quebecor, 2004.
Patti Wigington, learnreligions.com, 2019.